12 years later
by cuddeellee
Summary: The titel says it all... Hogwarts ...12 years later
1. Chapter 1

12 Years Later…

Unfortunately I own nothing… except for my own characters.

The Hogwarts Express was just as Violet Notwick expected, thoroughly crowded yet not displeasing. Working her way along the train she noted something rather unusual, a crowed of people all around one compartment all trying to get in. "Ah" she exclaimed aloud "The Potter children." Being now the most famous people in the school (excluding certain teachers) they were constantly pestered with people who wanted to be their friends and people who blamed them for Voldemort's downfall. Squeezing hurriedly past the mass of students she moved on to find an empty compartment in the last carriage .

Eventually the people from the crowd decided to find a place elsewhere and soon her compartment was full of chattering young first years. The journey dragged on and the lunch trolley came and went. Having changed when she first arrived on the train she decided to go exploring before they reached Hogwarts. The corridor was mainly empty as all of the other students were putting on their robes. Eventually she reached the end of the train without encountering anything of interest and so slowly began to walk back along the train. As she walked she slowly became to notice more and more details about the compartments and their passengers. Several were crowded full of older students but in others there were only a few lonely looking first years. A couple of carriages away from her own she came across a carriage which only had a single, sad looking first year. Sympathy overtook her brain and so she opened the door and went in…


	2. Chapter 2

"Who are you" his voice was sharp and surprisingly loud. Come on, I thought to myself, back out now whilst you still have a chance. But I didn't. He drew out his wand and began to advance upon me. "I meant no harm" my voice quiet and fearful, " I only wanted to say hello…" I muttered trailing off pathetically. I looked cautiously up at his face expecting anger or such emotions, but no such emotion was evident but on the contrary he now looked quite friendly and polite. "Sorry" he said his voice quieter and softer "you surprised me." Biting back an angry retort about people with no manners I sat down in the seat opposite and smiled at him hesitantly. Appearing slightly embarrassed by his outburst he offered me some of his sweets, I declined politely. We sat in silence for about 10 minuets whilst I remained composed and unmoving until eventually he burst out "what is your name?" I jumped at this and then laughed quietly to myself. "Well I said, if you wish to know my name, you shall have to tell me yours first." He shuddered and shook his head in refusal, choosing instead to stare out of the window as if he had already said and asked too much.

We spent the rest of the journey in blissful silence, although I do admit to a growing curiosity about the boy. Stepping gracefully from the train I glanced up to see the boy staring at me in curiosity and with some other emotion that I could not place. I moved forward still with the grace of before, and promptly fell over into a puddle, my cloak having got caught in the door of the train. The older students laughed, my fellow first years just looked more frightened, as if scared the same might happen to them. My bubble of self-importance popped and my self pride lessened. As I thought this over I saw the other fist years moving away after the giant form of what must be Hagrid, whom I had heard about from my parents. I jogged to catch them up. Small slashes of rain started to appear on the surface of the puddles and I felt the mood darken along with the colour of the sky.


	3. Chapter 3

The rain dampened mood became even more pronounced at the realisation that we would have to reach the castle by boat. Of course we already knew this but remembering it now just made us feel worse. As we reached the edge of the lake we saw that the boats were stored in a small bay behind a large cliff face which blocked Hogwarts from view. The boats were small and rocked unsteadily as we clambered in. Hagrid smiled at us encouragingly and the boats began to move. As we rounded the edge of the cliff, I gasped. Not in amazement, but in horror. The castle, that magical castle that I had, for so long wished to see, was nothing but an old ruin. "But, but…" I gasped. Some of the other people in the boat looked at me like I was crazy whilst others sighed something, which sounded like "amazing, beautiful!" I looked around feeling frightened, how was it that I could not see Hogwarts? The realisation hit me in an instant, I must be a muggle. But no, that could not be right… did I not make water pour out of my mothers ears, and did I not cause my bedroom to turn into jelly? Also, I thought with hope rising, they accepted me in the first place. By the time I had thought all this through, we had reached the castle and we clambered ashore. A broken tunnel way lead up into the ruins and so I entered Hogwarts.

It was hard going, guessing my way along in the pitch black after the others. I often spotted large cracks and crevices in the floor, which I avoided at first until I realised they were not really there. We climbed up some steps and into what must have once been a great hall, and still was I reminded myself hastily. A stern looking woman greeted us and I instinctively knew that this was the headmistress, Professor McGonagall. She showed us silently into a small room to the left, where we stood silently, expectantly, waiting for her to speak. "Wait here, I will return in a minute." And so she left us standing in silent suspence.


End file.
